How I did it: We've all been through a lot of stuff in our lives, and I'm not different-- I finally got to a place where I just didn't care anymore about what people thought of me. I had to ask myself: is it worth wasting my time stressing out about how I look or act or what so-and-so is doing or saying behind my back? The answer of course is no! I had to learn to be who I wanted to be, and it was really liberating to finally get to a place (within myself) where my primary priority became my own happiness (without hurting others or sacrificing their feelings.)

Lessons & tips: It's an ongoing battle, but that doesn't mean you should never start or take it slow. Just keep reminding yourself that it doesn't matter at all what people think, what people do-- you are your own person, and no matter what kind of religious beliefs you hold, we can all agree that this is the only time you're ever going to be able to live in this body, so why not just have a blast? Don't let people's issues affect you or hang you up. Be free.

Find people who are secure in who they are and hang with them, try to understand them. A great place to start would be a local chapter of PFLAG or the GSA-- it helped me understand the battle against human insecurities and helped me get over my homophobia as well. Two birds with one stone!

Sep 28, 2008, 10:33AM PDT | 0 comments | 7 cheers